PERFECT JUSTICE and SUFFERING SAINTS: 2 Thess. 1: 1-12
Listen to this statement: Christianity is NOT a self-help religion. It is NOT a self-improvement course on improving your own self-righteousness. The Reality of Christianity is this: You have failed to meet God’s Perfect Standard of Holiness if you have ever committed ONE SINGLE SIN. (“All have fallen short of the Glory of God.”) You CANNOT GET UP and TRY AGAIN. You’re dead, done, finished because your eternal SENTENCE to pay for sin is everlasting HELL.
(We looked last week at the fact that Jesus Himself taught the truth about Hell, and the reason He came was to make a way for YOU to enter His Heaven and not GO TO HELL. Many religions say that there isn’t a Hell, but Jesus never said that. Now think of this: If you trust other people who say there ISN’T a Hell and they are wrong, you may very well GO to Hell. If you trust Jesus as only way to avoid Hell and there IS a Hell, you have gained eternity. If Jesus is wrong and there IS NOT a Hell, you haven’t lost anything.)
Christ provides Your only HOPE to be saved: He comes to earth to give the PERFECT SACRIFICE for Sin. In order to BE the perfect sacrifice He had to LIVE the perfect life, unblemished, and die a sinner’s death in the sinner’s place. That is exactly what He did: The Proof? The Resurrection and Ascension back into Heaven. That is why Salvation is only found in the GOSPEL of God’s GRACE in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"The focus of the Bible is not the work of the redeemed but the work of the Redeemer. The gospel frees us from ourselves. It announces that this whole thing is about Jesus and dependent on Jesus. The good news is the declaration of his victory for us, not our "victorious Christian life." The gospel asserts that God's final word over a Christian has already been spoken: "Paid in full." (Reconciliation and justification) Tullian Tchividjian
Today we look at 2 Thessalonians1: “Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (The ONLY place that we can find true grace and peace is from God the Father THROUGH the Lord Jesus.), 3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”
Local Church Boast
What strange REASONS Paul gives TO “BOAST” ABOUT A LOCAL CHURCH. It isn’t the praise team or the pastor. It’s not the building or the facility. It’s not location or how many people come to a given function. Not on exteriors! The Number one reason to boast about a church is: Your faith in the Lord Jesus, individually and corporately (within the local and universal body) of Christ is growing. That is central: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Secondly, Paul boasts about a Church body in which the love that you have for each other is increasing, and both of these signs are in the context of persecutions and trials which you are enduring. Love that is not from God within the Body of Christ will turn hostile when it is tested. False Love will disappear when put to the test. True spiritual love will IMPROVE when tested. Remember Jesus’ command for the Body of Christ from the beginning: Love one another as I have loved you. That takes ACTION!
SUFFERING SAINTS
Verse 5 “All this is evidence (their steadfastness and growth through tough times are PROOF) that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.” This is explaining the Righteous Judgment of God upon Believers (that is, Saints) which will bring growth during Trials.
From everything that we have studied in the past 2 months, how are you considered or counted “WORTHY” or acceptable of salvation? You ARE NEVER WORTHY in and of yourself; we have nothing to contribute to our salvation. It is only by God’s Grace alone, by the gift of Faith alone, through God’s Word alone, through CHRIST ALONE! “Counted Worthy” in this sense doesn’t refer legalistically to a moral quality. You’ve already been granted forgiveness and life eternal by grace! We are totally UN-worthy of God’s Grace: We are sinners who NEED IT and we receive it; “just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me.” Jesus’ life and death, HIS SUFFERING make us “worthy” to enter the Kingdom of God!
This suffering is Kingdom-concentrated suffering for by believers, Children of God, Saints. Suffering and persecution do NOT “qualify” us to receive God’s Grace but neither is it evidence that God has forsaken us, but rather, it is evidence that HE IS WITH US, perfecting us.
It is a temporary and self-denying suffering which brings us more to the realization that we are NOT worthy in the least of the divine gift of Grace and salvation at all, and so we consider it a privilege to partake in suffering, as did the Lord Jesus. Acts 5:41: “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Suffering for the sake of the Gospel is patiently endured because it is God-given genuine TRUE faith, which we know will end at physical death. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Here comes the PRESSURE in order to prove and strengthen your faith. God is using it to purge, to prune, to clean and chasten in order to prepare you to receive the full glory of the Kingdom. That's a Kingdom view and a Kingdom attitude. It’s the same attitude that Christ had toward the Cross…Jesus faced it with joy and determination, knowing the end result.
God's judgment in all matters is always right and Sovereign! God doesn’t send persecution because you are NOT loving or faithful, He sends it to INCREASE your love for Him and increase your faith in Christ. You are not being “judged” for sins; THAT judgment has already been dealt upon Christ at the Cross for those who believe. Persecution of believers brings the Glory of God’s Kingdom and HIS Greatness and Grace to light, and shows more than ever to a believer that Grace is God's forgiving favor to the sinner and that peace is the redemptive result of God’s Grace, even through trials. You never had peace before you received God’s Grace, but you will have His Peace forever afterward.
True faith withstands persecution because it is God-GIVEN and genuine and on the other hand, persecution destroys false faith. The final result is that Persecution produces a pure church as it purges the church of unbelievers and purges believers of unbelief. A REAL and TRUE FAITH will RESULT in Persecution. (Read 1 Peter 4:12-19)
PERFECT JUSTICE
Verse 6: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. (WAIT AND SEE HOW JUST God REALLY IS!) Verse 7b: “This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”
One Day God will exercise HIS Perfect Justice upon Unbelievers upon those who do not “know God.” (vs. 8) DO people know God? CAN they know God? Certainly, Listen to these verses:
Deuteronomy 4: 35: "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. 36 "Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.” Deut 7:9: "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
Psalm 100:3: ”KNOW that the LORD Himself is God ; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves ; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
John 17:3: Jesus prayed: "This is eternal life, that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Galatians 4: “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba ! Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 However at that time, when you DID NOT KNOW God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come TO KNOW God, or rather to BE KNOWN by God.”
Titus 1:16 “They profess to KNOW God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” Hebrews 1: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” 2 Corinthians 4:6:”For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Hosea 4:6 ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
People turn their backs from God. They choose in their sinfulness to avoid God and so they do not KNOW HIM; Their own sinfulness causes them to NOT KNOW God and so they will perish eternally. It’s not God’s “fault”, it is the sinners Choice! If they “knew God” they would exhibit faith in Him. They would love Him, serve Him, trust Him, Live and die FOR HIM. If they “truly knew God”, suffering would end at physical death, but instead, as good or as bad a life as they may have led, at the judgment they will be punished eternally for NOT knowing God and living for Christ. Their suffering is just beginning. What regret to suffer, not for a lifetime, but for thousands of lifetimes!
God’s Perfect Justice will also be exercised eternally upon those who do not “obey the Gospel.” 2 Thess.2:10-11: “and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. Galatians 6:7: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
The Gospel is the GREATEST NEWS that God’s Grace allows sinners who turn to the LORD JESUS ALONE to NOT ONLY escape eternal justice from Hell, but to spend eternity in Heaven. Reconciliation stamps our debt “paid in full” and Justification declares us NOT GUILTY.
Lastly, the Gospel also provides perfect justice that fits the crime of sin. God’s Perfect Justice will not be cruel because God would not allow for “cruel” punishment, but we can be assured that the Punishment of Hell (which we looked at last week) will perfectly fit the crime of treason against a Holy and Almighty God for all eternity, and there will be no escape.
Paul ends in Verse11 “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that OUR God MAY COUNT you worthy (Axioo: root word of “worthy” in verse 5) of HIS CALLING, and that by HIS power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (not according to your good intentions.”
People of God, God’s presence will be known eternally in Hell, but NOT with GRACE and MERCY; There will be only wrath upon those who REFUSED His Marvelous Grace and refused to FEAR God while they had the opportunity. JD Greear, in "Gospel", says: “Hell is what hell is because that’s what sin against an infinitely beautiful and Glorious God deserves. Hell is not one degree hotter than our sin demands that I be. Hell should make our mouths stand agape at the righteous, justice, and holiness of our God.”
I mentioned this week that the greatest failure a person could ever have is to work hard all your life, try your best to do all the right things, and then die and go to hell! It is the greatest lifetime disaster to AVOID and it isn’t accomplished by trying harder or doing more, but rather by coming to God with all your sin baggage in humility and asking Him to check it at the cross. It is not about DOING MORE to impress God by trusting more and more in what Christ and the Work of the Gospel HAS DONE and will continue to do for you as you live in the security of the cross for sins-forgiven, and with power to live in the resurrected and ascended Christ. God desires to exercise MERCY saying in James 2:13: For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” Today is the Day of Salvation! Make certain that you will not be judged by the law but a saint saved by God’s Grace.
OUTLINE
(Vs.1-4) Reasons to Boast about a local church
A. A growing faith for God
B. An increasing love for each other
(Vs.5) Righteous Judgment of God upon Believers (Saints) brings growth during Trials. (1 Peter 1:6-9, 4:12-19)
A. It is Kingdom-concentrated suffering for the Child of God. (worthy)
B. It is a temporary and self-denying suffering.
C. It is patiently endured because it is true faith, and ends at physical death
(Vs. 6-10) Perfect Justice of God upon Unbelievers
A. It is eternally upon those who do not “know God.”
1. If they “knew God”, they would exhibit faith in Him.
2. If they “knew God”, their suffering would end at death, instead…
B. It is eternally upon those who do not “obey the Gospel.” (2 Thes.2:10-11)
1. The Gospel is God’s Grace to escape eternal justice in Hell.
2. The Gospel also provides perfect justice that fits the crime of sin.
Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
